Chennai, Dec 28 (UNI) Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) President K Veeramani today said his party would stage a demonstration here on December 31 to protest against the proposed visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Sri Lanka to take part in the island government's Independence Day celebrations, scheduled for January four.

Talking to newspersons here, he said the demonstration was to appeal to the Centre that neither the Prime Minister nor anyone on behalf of the Centre should visit Sri Lanka to take part in its Independence Day celebrations.

Any such participation would only strengthen the hands of the Sri Lankan government, which had launched an offensive against the Tamils, he said.

Expressing shock over the Prime Minister's reported visit, Mr Veeramani, a staunch supporter of the LTTE, said when the Tamils were being treated as second class citizens and living as refugees in their own homeland, no Indian dignitary should take part Sri Lanka's Independence Day event.

He appealed to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to prevail upon the Prime Minister to drop his visit to the island nation.

''Under no circumstance, should the Prime Minsiter visit Sri Lanka,'' Mr Veeramani said.

He alleged that after Rajapakse came to power in 2005, three lakh Tamils became refugees and about 4,000 Tamils were killed.

The Tamils were even prevented from getting medicines and food items, Mr Veeramani said.

UNI